Tourist.

Dunstan Times, Issue 2336, 18 June 1906, Page 3

Tourist.

THE HAPPY HOLLANDERS. Holland was on fete—at least its southern province, Zeeland, was en fete—when we arrived there, writes Arthur Warren, so it befell that wo bad to make our way to our hotel as best wo could. There was no cab in rovvu —at any rate I never saw one there — and we bad to foot it a mile or so, carrying our lightest traps and leaving the remainder to a pair of stout porters, for the hotel man who mot us at the station craved mynheer’s pardon and lamented to inform us that ‘de omnibus was broken.’ I suppose the poor vehicle had been overworked with the rush of traffic into Blissingen, for royalty wan coming to town, and the province of Zeeland had put on its best bib and tucker and bad literally hung its banners on its outer walls.

‘ Would we take a pennybootje f’ Yes, wo would—and did. Thoponnyhooijo was a thing that tootled up the canal to the railway station, and then tootled back again to the town, giving us from its lowly deck our first glimpse of Holland frfhn the inside thereof. It was a pleasant glimpse, and a characteristic one -withal. The canal was broad and fairly clean, and on its sides wero huge docks, bigger and butter and more orderly than any docks along the sea coasts of the United States. ' Our dock commissioners could find instructive lessons at almost any little Dutch town. As we went on wo could see now bunting flying everywhere. The flagmakors must have been driving a prodigious trade. And when, we got out of the pennybootje and clambered up a pair of wet stops to the street which bordered the main canal, we found on every hand portents of revelry. There was never such another sight outside a Christmas bazaar or a Kate Greenaway book. The place was recking wiili color, against abackground of red brick Louse walls, festooned with evergreen. The droll little buildings looked very snug and gay, and the droll little people very snug and happy. In every kind of conveyance that Holland could muster, and on the traditional mare of Shanks, the worthy Zeelandera came in twos and fours and in battalions. All the population of tbo adjacent country seemed to be pouring into Blissingen—some in tags and some in bags and some in velvet breeches. You may bo assured tbr.p none came in rags, for in this comfortable wee country everybody has some sort of finery for daily wear. There is a touch of the rural dandy about tbo men, and of the’rustic belle about the Women of these parts. There is a fascinating pride in picturesque ungainliness. Clunking in wooden shoon, and waddling within monumental petticoats, the women are amusingly, spectacular It is a wonder how they make their skirts stand- out; but it is no wonder that they waddle, these dear creatures, for instead of acquiring rotundity by the use of hoops they fasten a thick and cumbrous roll of cloth about their hips and over this is suspended their elephantine skirts. Nobody, is born young iu Holland. The very babies have an ancient air; tbo girl children are merely miniatures of their mothers in manner, in walk_ and in dress. They have the same funny caps, the same curious dangling ornaments at their brows, the same phenomenal skirts, (lie same sabots, the same chubby red arms, and tbo same serious faces, but all on a reduced scale.

It is odd what reminders of Yaukeedom one finds among the Dutch. There are many faces among the folk of tho huge towns, and among the seafarers, which might easily have come out of Now Knglaud, chin boards aud all. As for the vehicles in which Iho folk get about tho country, they aro sure'y the prototypes of many wheeled creations with which we arc familiar down east. I will take oath that tho ‘ wonderful oneJioss shay ’ catno out of Holland in tho good <hi days. Almost the first wheeled tilings that I saw was the possible ancestor of a New Kngland carryall. As for beach waggons and buggies, well, all that I can say is they must have boon originally modeled by oniigrated Dutchmen with good memories. And ;f I did not soe in the fields the prototype of (ho Yankee hay-rigging, then 1 am a Dutchman ! As for other reminders, you - ace them everywhere in Holland. Tho good ) old rod t rick houses resemble much of our :.colonial architecture, aud (he cellar bulkheads which stilt exist in. the older parts of lour New Kngland towns are here extant in i tho original.

; The Dutch scorn to bo a very contented i people; they look well fed, they are, wirhjout doubt, abundantly c'.olbcd ; they arc ■ certainly comfortably housed, they barn a idelectable land to live in, they have a proper appreciation of their own piotur-e.-quciiess, and they arc very fairly equipped with this world’s goods. Besides, they have tho knack of contentment, and that is the greatest blessing of life. They would be hard nuts for modern agitators to crack, and I dare say they would m ro readily crack tho skulls of tho apostles of discontent than lend tin eager ear to their mouthings. At tiny rate, their appearance gives cv. ry indication of (he possession of contented minds.

They arc loyal folk, too, I take it. At the beginning and the cud of a cafe concert, when the band plays the national, air, the people stand, the men. take off their hats and at the conclusion of the anthem loudly cheer. If patriotism be a virtue, the Hutch have it. But what pleases mo most is their evident contentment. It is refreshing to find a country whoso people are not bursting with , ambition. Not even tho shopkeepers wear piratical airs, as do some I wot of in other longitudes. Shopkeeping seems to be a peaceful art in Nederlandisohe realms. Before I had been twenty-four hours in tho 'country I realized a longing to become tho proud possessor of a small Dutch shop—what kind of shop it were indifferent to dilate lupon. So long as it were in one of thoso ! bright litrle eighteenth century buddings, and it were fitted quaintly and scrubbed to , au amazing sparkle, and had little fine white curtains and a stock of daintily di-po-ed j wares, a cozy little parlor adjacent and a 1 blossoming garden behind—then could one be a most seraphic merchant. The species is I extant Lore in choicest Dutch. Such cm icing shops, such amiable trading, such restful lack of tissue-wearing zeal, one sees among Ino other shopmen than tho Dutch. Blessed ihe their trafficking ! It were as idyllic a lot | to be a Dutch shopkeeper as to bo a Dresdeu I shepherd or a Dresden shepherdess, j As for Dutch houses, it is my passion to possess one. The architects of Holland 1 I have, it seems, a genius for devising small I houses which contain a groat many very j large rooms, and they have the true artistic ( feeling for back gardens. Tho know a thing or two about comfort, T can tell you, and they could teach us much ou that score. The motto of Holland is : ‘ I will maintain.’ i The object of maintainanco is not precisely ; set down, but I take it to bo comfort. They I have a trick of getting so much comfort out of so little that they seem to have goue farther than most nations toward solving the problems of life. If they take an ecstatic delight in* anything, it is in cleanliness. There is a very rage of cleanliness in Holland. I wonder that tho country was not scrubbed, away long ago. They scrub everything If they could get to their ! chimney tops they would scrub them. I Where will you fiud such acres of dazzling I plate-glass as in a Dutch town P Where I such tons of brilliant brasses and radiant j copper kettles—which might easily servo for mirrors ; where such blinding milk cans ! and such miraculous floors and doorsteps ? I Every morning the air is heavy with the odor |of soapsuds. Every night it quivers with the f boating of mats and carpets. Every day the I swish-wash of the scrubbing-brush is heard f throughout the land. Holland is lurid with j much washing. u, Queer little Holland is a country of surprises. Although the cleanness of it ig ' miraculous